Adrian Fontes

Adrian Fontes (born April 3, 1970) is an American politician and attorney. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 2023, he has been the Secretary of State of Arizona. He won this role in 2022 by defeating the Republican nominee, Mark Finchem.

Before becoming Secretary of State, Fontes served as the Maricopa County Recorder from 2017 to 2021. His work in these roles focuses on helping manage important government tasks and support fair elections in Arizona.

Early life and career

Adrian Fontes grew up in Nogales, Arizona. His family has lived in southern Arizona for over 300 years, even before it became a state. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1992 to 1996, where he taught a course about marksmanship. He earned a bachelor's degree in Communications from Arizona State University in 1998. After returning, he went to the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver and graduated in 2000 with a Juris Doctor degree.

Fontes worked as a prosecutor in the Denver District Attorney's Office, Maricopa County Attorney's Office, and the Arizona Attorney General's Office. He has also worked as an attorney in private practice.

Maricopa County Recorder (2017–2021)

Fontes served as the Maricopa County Recorder from 2017 to 2021. He first won the election in 2016, becoming the first Democrat to hold this position in over 50 years. During his time in office, he introduced vote centers where any voter in the county could cast a ballot, making voting more convenient. He also expanded early voting options to help more people vote.

In 2020, Fontes ran for re-election but lost by a small margin. During that election, there were protests outside the office where ballots were being counted. Fontes expressed concern for his safety and that of his family, but there was no real threat. After leaving office, he helped another county with their election transition. Fontes spoke out against efforts to question the 2021 election results, emphasizing the need to protect election officials from unfair treatment.

Arizona Secretary of State (2023–present)

Adrian Fontes decided to run for the job of Arizona Secretary of State in 2022. He won the Democratic primary in August 2022 with 52.5% of the votes, beating his opponent who got 47.5%. In the final election in November, he faced a Republican candidate named Mark Finchem and won, becoming the Secretary of State of Arizona in 2023.

Electoral history

Adrian Fontes has been involved in several important elections. In 2016 and 2020, he was elected as the Maricopa County Recorder. Then, in 2022, he ran for Arizona Secretary of State and won, becoming the current holder of that office.